Minneapolis Busted Mugshots
Minneapolis busted mugshots come from the Hennepin County jail system, where all city arrests end up after booking. With around 430,000 residents, Minneapolis is the largest city in Minnesota and produces a high volume of arrest records each year. The Minneapolis Police Department handles arrests across the city, but the Hennepin County Sheriff runs the jail and keeps the public roster. You can look up current inmates, check booking photos, and find case details through several free state and county tools. This page covers how to search for busted mugshots in Minneapolis and where each type of record is stored.
Minneapolis Overview
Hennepin County Jail and Minneapolis Bookings
Minneapolis does not run its own city jail. Every person arrested by the Minneapolis Police Department gets transported to the Hennepin County Adult Detention Center. The jail sits at 350 South 5th Street in downtown Minneapolis, just blocks from City Hall. The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office runs the facility and handles all intake, booking, and release operations for the entire county.
When someone is booked in, staff collect fingerprints and take a booking photo. That mugshot becomes part of the public record under Minnesota Statute 13.82, subdivision 26. The law says booking photographs are public data. So anyone can request a copy, and many appear on the county jail roster shortly after booking.
The jail phone number is (612) 348-5112. You can call to ask about a current inmate or confirm booking status. Staff can tell you if someone is in custody, what the charges are, and whether bail has been set. For after-hours questions, the jail operates around the clock.
| Facility | Hennepin County Adult Detention Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 350 South 5th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415 |
| Phone | (612) 348-5112 |
| Sheriff Website | hennepinsheriff.org |
Minneapolis Police Department
The Minneapolis Police Department is one of the largest law enforcement agencies in Minnesota. MPD officers patrol the city and make arrests that feed into the county booking system. The department is based at City Hall, 350 Fifth Street South, Room 130. The non-emergency line is 311 or (612) 673-3000. For emergencies, call 911.
MPD keeps its own records of incidents, reports, and arrests. You can request police reports through the department's records unit at (612) 673-3787. These reports often contain details that don't show up in a basic mugshot search, like witness statements and officer narratives. Keep in mind that active investigation files may be classified as confidential under Minn. Stat. 13.82, subd. 7, until the case closes.
The Minneapolis Police Department website has more info on how to file records requests.
Visit minneapolismn.gov/police to learn more about the department and its services.
How to Search Minneapolis Busted Mugshots
There are several ways to look up busted mugshots for people arrested in Minneapolis. Some tools are free. Others cost a small fee. The best approach depends on what you already know about the person and how recent the arrest was.
The Hennepin County jail roster is the fastest way to check for current inmates. It shows who is in custody right now, along with booking photos, charges, and bail amounts. You can search by name and see results in seconds. The roster updates frequently throughout the day. Go to jailroster.hennepin.us to start a search. This tool only shows people who are currently held in the jail. Once someone is released, their record drops off the roster.
The screenshot below shows what the Hennepin County jail roster looks like when you search for an inmate.
Results include the booking date, current charges, and a photo if one is on file.
For court records tied to an arrest, use Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO). This free tool covers all state district courts, including Hennepin County. Search by name or case number. MCRO shows case status, hearing dates, charges, and docket entries. It won't show the mugshot itself, but it fills in the legal details around an arrest.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office also runs a case search tool at hennepinattorney.org. This focuses on adult felony cases. If the arrest led to a felony charge in Hennepin County, you can track it here.
For criminal history that goes back further, try the BCA public criminal history search at dps.mn.gov/bca. The BCA keeps conviction data for 15 years after the sentence ends, per Minn. Stat. 13.87. Note that the BCA search shows convictions only. It does not include arrests that did not lead to a conviction.
The Hennepin County Sheriff site provides links to jail services and public safety info.
Minneapolis Mugshot Laws
Minnesota treats booking photos as public data. That is the core rule. Under Minn. Stat. 13.82, subd. 26, a booking photograph is public unless a specific exception applies. Exceptions exist for victims of certain crimes, juveniles, and undercover officers. But for the vast majority of adult arrests, the mugshot is open to anyone who asks.
Arrest data is also public under subdivision 2 of the same statute. This includes the time, date, and place of the arrest, the charges, and the names of the agencies involved. So when you look up busted mugshots in Minneapolis, the basic booking details come along with the photo.
Criminal investigative data is different. Active investigations are confidential under subd. 7. Once an investigation goes inactive, much of the data becomes public. But there are still limits. Witness identities may stay private in certain cases.
If someone wants their record sealed, they can file for expungement under Chapter 609A. Expungement does not destroy the records. It seals them from public view. Eligibility depends on the offense. Petty misdemeanors and misdemeanors may qualify after two years. Gross misdemeanors need three years. Some felonies require four or five years with a clean record. Convictions for offenses that require registration under Minn. Stat. 243.166 can never be expunged.
Records Requests in Minneapolis
You can request arrest records and booking data from multiple agencies. The Minneapolis Police Department handles requests for police reports and incident data. Call (612) 673-3787 or visit the records unit at City Hall. There is usually a copy fee. Under Minn. Stat. 13.03, the maximum charge is 25 cents per page for 100 or fewer black-and-white pages.
For jail records and booking photos, contact the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office. The jail can confirm custody status over the phone. Written requests may be needed for copies of booking documents. The sheriff's website at hennepinsheriff.org has more details.
Court records are available through the Hennepin County Court Administrator or online through MCRO. Certified copies cost more than plain copies. If you need a certified record for legal purposes, visit the courthouse in person or contact the court at (612) 348-6161.
The MPD website offers guidance on how to submit public data requests.
Statewide Search Tools for Minneapolis
Several state-level databases can help you find records related to Minneapolis arrests. The Minnesota DOC Public Viewer shows information on offenders under state supervision. If someone arrested in Minneapolis was sentenced to state prison, they will appear here. The tool shows demographics, current facility, offense details, and sentence length. It is free to use.
VINELink is another option. This system sends notifications when an inmate's custody status changes. You can register to get alerts by phone, email, or text. It covers Hennepin County and most other Minnesota jails. If you want to know when someone gets released, VINELink is the tool for that.
The BCA also maintains a predatory offender registry. Level III offenders are listed publicly online. Search at the DOC registrant search page.
Hennepin County Busted Mugshots
Minneapolis is the county seat of Hennepin County. All bookings for the city go through the county system. For a full look at Hennepin County arrest records, jail info, and court resources, check the county page.